OPEN: The last emperor of Germany was Kaiser Wilhelm II and, in 1898 he decided to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. At the time, the once great Jerusalem was in serious need of attention. So 6 months before the Kaiser’s scheduled arrival, the Sultan replaced the mayor of Jerusalem with a more energetic official who was charged with making some much needed improvements to city. To prepare for the Kaiser and his entourage, a small village of 81 tents was set up for them to live in just outside city. And inside the city, the Markets were rebuilt, the city water system was repaired after centuries of neglect, roads along the Kaiser’s planned route were paved, new buildings were constructed and old ones were whitewashed and painted. Beggars and barking dogs rounded up and exiled to distant villages. And a wall near the Jaffa Gate (thru which the Kaiser was to enter) was torn down to allow for him/his entourage easier access to city. On the day of his grand entry the Kaiser entered Jerusalem riding on a beautiful white horse and he was welcomed by numerous dignitaries, journalists and photographers. As the crowd cheered - he received a 21-gun salute.
Over 100 years later, the “Tower of David Museum” in Jerusalem set up an interactive display of the event entitled “The Kaiser Is Coming!” (https://www.jpost.com/in-jerusalem/features/historical-exhibition-kaiser-is-coming-again)
THE KAISER IS COMING!!! As this last Emperor of Germany entered the city - the crowds went wild.
Nearly 2000 years before that… Jesus entered that same city! The crowds went wild and spread their coats and palm branches on the road before Him. And they shouted “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" John 12:13
They were declaring THE KING IS COMING! And they knew that Jesus was the coming King because He was fulfilling a couple of the prophecies about the coming Messiah, the King of Kings.
Do you remember my mentioning that the Kaiser entered thru the Jaffa Gate? That Gate lies on the Western side of Jerusalem. In fact the Jaffa gate had been the major entrance into Jerusalem for about 300 years. Before that, it used to be that the important gate of Jerusalem was on the other side of the city. On the other side of Jerusalem was a gate called “The Eastern Gate.” And that Eastern Gate was important to the Jews because there was a prophecy out of Ezekiel that they believed declared that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem thru that gate.
In Ezekiel 10:18–19, God spoke of the glory of the Lord leaving the temple through “the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house.” But later, in Ezekiel 43:1–5 Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord return to the temple through “the gate facing east.”
So, if the Eastern Gate was so important-why didn’t the Kaiser enter thru THAT gate? Well he couldn’t.
ILLUS: When you folks sent me to Israel a few years ago, THIS is what the Eastern Gate looks like now! The gate is all walled up. NOBODY can get through. About 500 years ago, Suleiman the Great had the gate sealed because he realized that the Jews still believed their Messiah was coming, and that they believed He (the Messiah) would enter the city through that gate. So he walled it up!
But - just in case this Messiah actually did show up the Muslims established a graveyard in front of the gate in the belief that no Messiah worthy of the name would defile himself by walking through a cemetery.
TOO LATE! Jesus had already been there and done that. That’s what this Triumphal entry into Jerusalem was all about. It was a declaration by Jesus that He’d come to be a KING. And that’s why the people were so excited. They knew Jesus had come to be their King.
(Now, just a side note here - when Jesus comes back, if He wants to enter Jerusalem there isn’t a cemetery or a walled gate that could ever stop Him! Just saying!)
Now Jesus entered Jerusalem - thru Eastern Gate - to declare He’d come to be a King. But it was the WAY He entered the city was a declaration of the kind of Kingdom He’d come to establish. When the Kaiser entered the city… what was HE riding? (A powerful white horse). It was a mighty steed, worthy of a powerful emperor.
But when Jesus came to town what was He riding? (A donkey) Why would He do that? Well, partly, He did that to fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, YOUR KING IS COMING to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey...”
Now, pay close attention here… what did the prophecy of Zechariah declare would be the attitude of this King? His was the attitude of humility, and we know that because He’s on a donkey.
ILLUS: I’ve ridden horses, and I’ve ridden donkeys, and I’m here to tell you… I’d prefer to ride a horse. Donkeys just aren’t all that impressive. Zorro didn’t ride a donkey; the Lone Ranger never rode a donkey; Indiana Jones didn’t ride a donkey… BUT JESUS DID!
And Zechariah tells us He rode the donkey to make a statement. He’d come to be humble King, and His kingdom was to be a humble kingdom made up of servants… not warriors.
In Matthew 20:25-28 we’re told “Jesus called (His disciples) to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. That’s the way of the mighty of this world! It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Now, that’s important for two reasons
FIRST Jesus wants US to understand the church should NEVER be about power or control.
ILLUS: I knew a man who’d become an Elder because his daddy had been one. It was his birth-rite, he deserved it. And he saw the Eldership as a position of prominence and importance – that’s why he wanted the job. People like that aren’t humble… and they're not servants. They see Church is their personal fiefdom, and they want to be in charge!
TOO MANY TIMES in churches, people get upset because can’t get their way. They think the church is THEIR church. It belongs to them. And so they quarrel and they fight and try to gain control so that things will go their way. TOO MANY TIMES people seek prestige and importance in the church so they’ll seek to be an Elder because that’s where the prestige is. They’re kind of folks that ride white horses… not donkeys. To them (and to US) Jesus says DON’T BE LIKE THAT! “It shall not be so among you” Don’t be like the pagans.
So 1st Jesus came - humble upon a donkey - to teach us what being Christian’s all about. It’s all about humility and servanthood to others.
2ndly, Jesus came on a donkey to prove that He hasn’t called us to be warriors.
ILLUS: Those who attack Christianity are often fond of bringing up the Crusades. They’ll say “Just look how those ‘Christians’ behaved.” And they’re right, the Crusades weren’t Christendom’s finest moment. But what these critics miss… is that the church began about 33 A.D.. But the crusades didn’t even get started until about 1000 years later.
ILLUS: A good comparison can be made between Islam and Christianity. Islam began with warfare… and Mohammed built and maintained his kingdom by the blood of those he conquered. And that mindset still is still going on today in much of the mid-East.
But by contrast, Jesus’ Kingdom was built - not by the blood of the conquered but by the blood of the martyred. And THAT is still going on today. In places where Christianity is persecuted, and people die for their faith Christianity often grows by leaps and bounds. But why would Christianity grow where it’s persecuted? It doesn’t make any sense. It shouldn’t happen! But it does! And it happens because those people realize what they have and they’re often willing to die for it. Others see that and they come to Christ because they see how much Jesus is worth to those who are willing to give their lives for.
Now, Christians don’t go to war for their faith anymore… to shed blood. But they often go to war in places like Twitter and Facebook. They feel that if they can just insult and offend people enough, they can win the battle and please Christ. But it doesn’t. That kind of behavior does not please Christ. II Timothy 2:23-26 tells us “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
Jesus came to change our lives. To give us hope, and courage and the wisdom to build His Kingdom the way He wanted it done.
So Jesus came to Jerusalem to proclaim that he had come to create a new Kingdom – a kingdom we call the church. And you know what? He’s coming back! And He’s coming back to claim us for His own.
That museum in Jerusalem entitled the event (when Kaiser Wilhelm II entered city) “The Kaiser Is Coming!” Well... he came… and then he left. He was at Jerusalem for just a few days, and then he went home. He left, never intending to return.
But the Bible is very clear: Jesus IS coming back. And WHEN He comes back – He’ll return to put an END to all the pain and sorrow and death we experience here. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 tells us “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”
ILLUS: Someone was once asked a missionary “What will Jesus shout when He returns?” “Enough’ said the missionary. ‘When he returns He will shout, ‘Enough’. Enough suffering. Enough starvation. Enough terror. Enough death. Enough indignity. Enough lives trapped in hopelessness. Enough sickness and disease. Enough time. ENOUGH.”
But the Kaiser didn’t come to do that. HE didn’t come to change lives. He didn’t really even care for the people he met in Jerusalem. He didn’t come for them.
BUT JESUS DID! Jesus came to Jerusalem for those He loved. And Jesus is coming back… and He’s coming back for me. There’s an old Gospel song that goes this way:
“The King is coming, the King is coming. I just heard the trumpets sounding and now His face I see. O the King is coming, the King is coming. Praise God, He's coming for me.”
CLOSE: THE KING IS COMING. He’s coming for those who belong to Him. The question for you this morning is this: DO YOU? Do you belong to Him? Is He coming back for you? And - are you ready for His return???
INVITATION
